


Handle With Care, My Edges Are Still Jagged

by pharomachruscatus



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Adorable Jester Lavorre, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Astrid and Eodwulf are only really mentioned, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Author is a recovering religious kid, Author is projecting onto Essek (Critical Role), Autistic Caleb Widogast, Background Relationships, Background Trent Ikithon, Based on my own experiences with religious family, Caduceus is going to get this group to therapy if it kills him, Caleb Widogast Deserves Nice Things, Caleb Widogast Needs a Hug, Deirta Thelyss A+ Parenting, Don't worry there's a happy ending, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gay Disaster Beauregard Lionett, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Religious Content, Religious Guilt, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Trans Essek Thelyss, Trans Jester Lavorre, Transphobia, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:28:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27688301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pharomachruscatus/pseuds/pharomachruscatus
Summary: Essek stepped into the lecture hall with 15 minutes to spare, and glanced around the room. There was already a decent amount of people filling the room, and most of his preferred seats had already been taken by the other early risers. One remained, next to a young man in a worn brown sweater and white button down. Essek sighed. He didn't prefer to sit next to strangers, but it seemed as if it could not be avoided if he wanted to get a good seat. He climbed the steps and slipped into the row, making his way to the seat. He saw the man tense, and frowned, before slipping into the seat and setting his bag on the floor next to him.He turned to look at his observer and nearly dropped the pen still in his hand. The bluest eyes he had ever seen stared back at him, framed with long lashes and surrounded by a constellation of freckles. The man wasgorgeous.
Relationships: Beauregard Lionett & Essek Thelyss, Beauregard Lionett/Yasha, Caduceus Clay & Essek Thelyss, Deirta Thelyss & Essek Thelyss, Essek Thelyss & Caleb Widogast, Essek Thelyss & Yasha, Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast, Fjord & Essek Thelyss, Fjord/Mollymauk Tealeaf, Jester Lavorre & Essek Thelyss, Jester Lavorre/Beauregard Lionett, Jester Lavorre/Beauregard Lionett/Yasha, Mollymauk Tealeaf & Essek Thelyss, Nott | Veth Brenatto & Essek Thelyss, Yeza Brenatto/Nott | Veth Brenatto
Comments: 23
Kudos: 106





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing a fanfiction in about half a decade, so please forgive and mistakes. This is both a concept that's been bouncing around in my head for a while, and my own way of coping with the effect growing up extremely religious had on me.  
> I'll try and update on a weekly schedule.  
> 

“The light of the Luxon brought us into this world, and by it’s teachings we live. It has provided us with this meal, and we give our thanks.  
In the name of the First Radiance, Amen.”

“Amen”

“Amen”

“…”

Essek felt himself stiffen as he committed the minor blasphemy, but no one said anything, or even seemed to notice, too engrossed in the meal before them. He almost smiled, lips quirking before he quickly pulled the mask of composure back into place and looked down at his food, trying to make himself look as uninteresting as possible. He listened to his mother make small talk with his brother and stepfather, grateful that they seemed to be ignoring him. They spoke of the recent snow storm, and the finances at their local church. Everything seemed to be going well, and they were ignoring Essek, but of course that could never last.  
He saw her turn to look at him out of the corner of his eye, and brushed his hair out of his eyes self consciously. She frowned slightly, still unused to and in opposition to her “daughter” having short hair.

“So, Cirrah, are you excited to go back to school?”  
His mother looked at him, smiling with the usual practiced ease she used on people who came to church, uncertain where their stance on religion stood. He gave her an equally fake smile, remembering at the last moment to pitch his voice up,

“Of course, I’m very much looking forward to returning to my studies, there is a project I was hoping to continue with one of my professors regarding the political history of the city of Emon after the fall of the Chroma Conclave.”  
His stepfather gave an approving hum, nodding quietly, and the conversation turned back to more interesting things than their child’s interest in history. 

Winter break had been intolerable, as every winter with his family was. Every conversation eventually turned to religion, and Essek found himself having to bite his tongue on more than one occasion to prevent himself from an outburst. 

The Kryn government’s recent decision to backtrack on their plan to permit an organization for reproductive rights from Tal’dorei into the country had sparked celebrations across the country. The church had been very against the concept, and the influence of religion in this supposedly secular government had made sure that the president herself had loudly proclaimed that no government of hers would permit such an act to occur, and that she was dedicated to the protection of the unborn as the Luxon had taught her. 

How wonderful it was that they had a religion centered government and how proud his mother was that they wouldn’t be standing for abortion had been the topic of conversation for weeks. That at least was something Essek could tune out. 

However the other topic had been one that made him want to curl into a ball and hide. The Dwendalian Empire’s recent decision to make the process of changing names and gender markers on documentation easier, as well as Tal’dorei’s recent crack down on discrimination against members of the LGBTQ+ had been met with disappointment and disgust from his family, and the rest of their country. It made Essek want to hide, and so hide he did. He pulled out the makeup he hadn’t worn in well over a year, and wore the dresses and skirts his mother had picked out for him. He styled his short hair to make him look more feminine, and began wearing the hairbows his mother had purchased when he insisted in cutting it. He smiled and graciously accepted the dresses, handbags and makeup given to him for Winterscrest. Only his brother’s gift of a new spellbook and a tome on the early history of the Dwendalian Empire had made the holiday worth it. 

But the day had finally come, he was finally going back to University. His bags were packed, skirts and dresses on top to cover the trousers, button down shirts, and sweaters he had bought for himself with the money he had gotten for his birthday the previous year. Hidden in his spell components was a small ziploc bag with his prized possession hidden inside, a binder he had bought and secreted away when he first went to university the previous year. His family had wanted him to study theology at the University of Assarius, but relented when his talent for magic and obsession with political science had become apparent. It had been easy enough to gain acceptance into the University of Emon, and the university staff had been more than accommodating when it came to changing his name on the documents that wouldn’t find their way back to his family. 

The rest of dinner was thankfully uneventful, and he was able to slip away to sleep, stating that he wanted to get as much rest as he could before his early flight. He curled up in bed, and slipped off to sleep, looking forward to going back to his dorm at the University of Emon, and beyond excited to hear someone call him his name once again. 

~

Bren Aldric Ermendrud sat alone in his room, watching as students milled about in the plaza below his window. A light dusting of snow had covered the clearing, and continued to drift down lazily, promising a morning that would be bright and freezing. He could see the lights coming from a party at a far off frat house, and hear the sound of someone playing video games in the next room. It all seemed so foreign, but then again, Emon and the continent of Tal’dorei were foreign in general. 

A door slammed down the hall and he jumped, fear seizing in his chest for a moment until he remembered where he was, and that he was safe. With a snap of his fingers he called Frumpkin to him, cuddling the cat close to his chest as he stared out the window. Ever since he and the others had managed to escape and go to the police, there had been this constant feeling of paranoia deep in his chest, the knowledge that _He_ was still out there. He watched the snow, wondering if it was snowing wherever Astrid and Eodwulf were. The witness protection program had decided it would be best to separate the three, forging new identities for them in different countries. 

He didn’t know where they had been sent, and that was for the best. If one was found and captured, the other two were still safe. For as much as he tried to rationalize it though, it didn’t make the loneliness and the ache in his heart any more bearable. They had been through hell together, and now he was in a foreign country, living under a fake name. He was surrounded by more people than he had been in years, and yet he felt more alone than ever. 

Given his situation, the University of Emon had been more than willing to give him a single room, and for that he was grateful. It was hard enough to be in a strange country, surrounded by more people than he had seen in years, without the added stress of sharing a room with a stranger.

There was a shout of excitement in the plaza below, and Caleb watched as a figure ran across the clearing and straight into the arms of another student. The smaller of the two was dressed in a warm winter coat with colorful patterns embroidered on it, pink mittens protecting her hands. It was too far away to properly see her face, but the light reflecting off the jewels and decorations on her small curled horns, and the protective muff spade shaped tip of her tail quickly identified her as a tiefling. The taller of the two was completely unidentifiable in race and gender. A deep grey beanie covered their head and they were wrapped up in a deep blue coat and gloves. The two embraced and the taller picked up the young tiefling woman and twirled her around.

There was a shriek of laughter as she was swung around, tail coming to wrap around the other’s waist. She was set back on solid ground and immediately began talking, arms waving wildly in the air as the vaguest hint of her loud, excited tone drifted through the air and reached Caleb’s ear. Another figure, larger than the two, approached them, and they waved in greeting. The middle person pulled this new person in for a hug, slapping them twice on the back. The tiefling woman pulled the new figure into a tight embrace. 

As she turned back to the other person to continue her story, the largest of the three looked out across the plaza, and then up at the windows to the dorms. It was a half - orc, and as his eyes drifted over the lit up windows they locked with Caleb’s. He smiled and gave a tentative wave. 

Fear seized Caleb's heart, and he fell backwards out of his chair, giving a startled yelp even as his hands traced the motions for mage hand. The spectral amber hand quickly pulled the cord for the curtain, pitching him into darkness without the light coming from the posts outside to brighten the room. He sat in silence, heart beating out of his chest on the floor of his dorm room. Frumpkin, who had jumped out of his lap and onto the desk the moment he had jolted, hopped down onto the floor next to him and placed his paws on Caleb’s chest. He wrapped his arms around the fey cat as he slowly leaned down and lay on his back. 

_Inhale four seconds. Hold for seven. Exhale eight seconds_

The words of his therapist repeated in his mind as he held the cat tightly. He closed his eyes tightly and followed his own directions, focusing on the sound of the video games next door, something so foreign and so different that his mind could not possibly make itself believe he was back with Herr Ikithon. 

Once his heart rate had returned to something a medical professional could consider normal he slowly sat up, cradling Frumpkin in his arms tenderly. He pressed a kiss to the cat’s forehead and released him back onto the floor, 

“Danke, meine Freund.”

The rest of the evening passed uneventfully, a fact which made Caleb send a prayer to whichever god might be listening. He didn’t think his heart could handle another incident. He dressed for bed, set up his alarm spell, prepared his spell components for the following day, and slipped under the covers. Frumpkin curled up at the foot of his bed, eyes fixed on the entrance almost protectively. Caleb listened to the sound of doors opening and closing, and the laughter coming from a few doors down. The knowledge of so many people around him had unnerved him, but now almost comforted him, if only in the knowledge that it was different from where he had been before, and nothing could be worse than that.

~

As promised by the weather app on Essek's phone, his first day of the new semester was frigid, frost curling at the edges of his window and the sunlight so bright it almost hurt to look at. He had packed plenty of clothing for layering thankfully, and dressed in a lavender grey button down, black sweater and his signature black knee length trench coat. He wrapped a thick grey scarf around his throat, double checking that his bag held everything he would need for the day. Spell components sat tucked in their leather roll out case, and his notebooks were perfectly organized. Pens with a variety or writing thicknesses and pencils lay neatly organized in his leather supplies case. Once he was sure that nothing was misplaced or out of order, he shouldered his brown bag and stepped out into the hallway, locking the door to his dorm room and slipping his keys back into his pocket.

After an incident with the roommate he had been assigned his first year, the university staff had opted for giving him a single room, to Essek's joy. He had never been the best at sharing a space with another person, much less someone he did not know. The single room had quickly become his favorite place to be, his own little respite from the world.

As he walked across the campus to class Essek took a moment to straighten his back and roll his shoulders, loosening the tension that came with wearing his binder for the first time in over a month. His first class of the day was History of the Arcane Sciences in Early Civilization, and promised to be a rigorous course if the stories they told about the professor that taught it were to be taken as truth. Allura Vyorsen was a legend when it came to Historical Arcana, and Essek had already read several of her publications on the subject in anticipation for his first class with her. It was a morning class, which showed potential for being emptier than the afternoon courses she offered, which Essek preferred. However her classes always filled up quickly, so it would most likely be full no matter what the hour she taught at.

Essek stepped into the lecture hall with 15 minutes to spare, and glanced around the room. There was already a decent amount of people filling the room, and most of his preferred seats had already been taken by the other early risers. One remained, next to a young man in a worn brown sweater and white button down. Essek sighed. He didn't prefer to sit next to strangers, but it seemed as if it could not be avoided if he wanted to get a good seat. He climbed the steps and slipped into the row, making his way to the seat. He saw the man tense as he approached and slipped into the seat, setting his bag on the floor next to him. The man watched him out of the corner of his eye as he pulled out a pen, purple highlighter and large three ring binder from his bag, setting them on the table in front of him and writing the date and name of the class at the top of the page.

Once he was done he turned to look at his observer and nearly dropped the pen still in his hand. The bluest eyes he had ever seen stared back at him, framed with long lashes and surrounded by a constellation of freckles. The man was _gorgeous_. Essek felt a flush steadily darken his cheeks as the man stared back at him. He blinked quickly and shook his head slightly to clear his head from the sudden onslaught of thoughts that had risen to the surface. He extended a hand to the man, giving him a smile that had almost certainly come out more of a grimace.

"Hello. My name is Essek Thelyss."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Essek ate alone, studied alone, worked alone. It was what he had done his entire childhood, and he had never found himself wishing for a group to distract him from his research. But Caleb Widogast was a perplexing mystery, and one that could not go unsolved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just finished my college semester and passed all my classes! (Thank the gods) Hopefully I'll have time to work on this more and get as many chapters as I can out before the insanity of the holidays overtakes me. As usual, I'll try and keep this to a weekly schedule.
> 
> I apologize in advance for any typos, I don't have a beta reader. I usually go back and reread the day after I post (other than my usual pre post re read), but there still might be some things I miss.

Caleb stared up at the drow in front of him. He looked young, but one could never be completely certain when it came to elves. His deep grey-purple skin accented pale lavender eyes framed by long lashes, and soft looking, ever so slightly wavy white hair fell slightly in front of his face, brushing the bridge of his nose. All in all Essek Thelyss, in his expensive winter clothing, was stunning. Caleb belatedly realised that he had been staring, and quickly took the offered hand. Even with both of them seated he towered over the small drow, and hunched over slightly to make himself appear smaller. 

“Ah… Hallo. My name is Caleb Widogast. I- are there assigned seats? I am so sorry, I will go find mine right away!”

He flushed as a chuckle interrupted his rambling, and the drow gave his hand a firm shake.

“No, no. There are no assigned seats. I prefer to sit where I can easily see the professor, and the only available spot left where that was possible was next to you, so I simply figured I should introduce myself is all.”

Caleb nodded, retracting his hand and fiddling with the edge of his knitted sweater. He realised must look a mess sitting next to the polished drow, his old knitted sweater and jacket with patches at the elbows that would soon need to be replaced next to a crisp button down and a nice sweater of some fine knit that Caleb was certain did not itch where it rested against his skin. He looked down at his cheap notebook, fiddling with the disposable ballpoint pen in his hand as their conversation faded into quiet awkwardness. 

He found himself glancing over at Essek the entire class, watching the way his hands held the fountain pen, filling the pages of his notebook with neat handwriting, his small hands brushing his hair away from his eyes every few minutes. Allura Vyorsen for her part was everything Caleb had expected as a teacher after meeting her in the government offices upon arriving in Emon. She was his contact here, and had been tasked with making sure he was adjusting properly to his new life, as well as making sure his magic was not causing him trouble, as people in situations similar to his were prone to having negative magical side effects when it came to adjusting to a normal life. 

~

Essek quickly adjusted to his new classes, and found himself falling back into his comfortable, if not slightly reclusive, tendencies. He ate alone, studied alone, worked alone. It was what he had done his entire childhood, and he had never found himself wishing for a group to distract him from his research, so he had not sought one out upon beginning his studies in Emon.

Caleb Widogast was a perplexing mystery. He had never seen the man before and yet they shared Professor Vyorsen’s class, which was only offered to second year students of Arcane History. He was clearly a diligent worker, if a little prone to letting his eyes drift to Essek’s page during the class. It must simply be because Common was clearly not his native tongue, and he was trying to catch something he had missed. Essek found himself angling his page slightly toward Caleb as he wrote so that the man could see easier. Neither of them commented on the way their eyes would occasionally meet, Essek watching the slight furrow in his brow, and the way he would run his long fingers through his messy red hair. 

It was, of course, not at all unusual for them to begin making small talk before class every day, despite the fact that Essek had never made such an effort before. He noted the way Caleb would try and stifle a yawn, and the ever present dark circles under his startlingly blue eyes. The constant yawning would distract him, so he began bringing coffee with him to class, a drink he abhorred, to offer to Caleb under the guise that it was all they had at the dining hall and he hadn’t noticed until he had already served it. Caleb for his part, took it gratefully and smiled at the warmth of the cup in his hands when it was handed to him. 

And so the first month of class passed, Essek’s routine both unchanged, and completely different at the same time. He still ate alone, but now he picked up coffee for Caleb. He still studied alone, but he found himself wondering what input the redhead would have to give whenever a certain problem stumped him. He still worked alone, but Professor Vyorsen was known for assigning partner work so that was most likely going to change. In the past he would have requested permission to work individually, but the thought of working with Caleb Widogast excited him. 

~

It was a crisp, slightly warmer Whelsen morning when the large project for the semester was assigned by Professor Vyorsen. The students were tasked with taking historical records that included mentions of spells which had been lost to time or renamed and attempting to find a modern equivalent for them. It was also a partner project which would last the duration of the semester, and would include both a written research paper and a filmed, practical demonstration. Students were free to pair up as they pleased, and it did not take long for Essek to look over at Caleb. 

“You are a hard worker, and seem to have both an affinity and an interest in the arcane. Would you like to pair up for this assignment?”

Caleb’s eyes widened, and he rubbed the back of his neck self consciously, not expecting to be outright asked to partner together. He had expected to be amongst the last to pair up, and be assigned to someone if he could not get away with working alone. But Essek was doing well in the class, and Caleb had seen him studying fervently in the library nearly every day. It would be nice to have someone to work with on the project, another, equally dedicated student of the arcane with which to bounce ideas off. 

“Ja, I would like that very much. You are a very good student as well, I have noticed. I think we would make a very good team.”

He found himself smiling at the shorter drow, filled out the assignment page with both of their names, and turned it in at the front of the class, receiving a nod from Allura as he did so. She glanced down at the page she had been handed and smiled softly, meeting his eyes as she deposited it in the assignment tray. 

“Mr. Thelyss is a very good student. I have heard very good things about him from my colleagues, but I have also heard that he is a bit of a recluse. I’m very happy you two have found each other, and that you seem to be getting along. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you looking at him during class.”

Caleb balked, face paling slightly before processing the teasing note in her voice, and forcing his muscles to relax. He could feel heat rising to his face, a redness threatening to overtake the freckles on his skin and rival his hair. 

“Ja. He is clearly a very talented magic user… and he has been kind to me. I did not expect to make a friend, but if I am to do so, I am glad it appears to be someone like him.”

He gave Allura one last nod and quickly went back to his seat to grab his things. 

“Would you like to meet this afternoon at the library? I think we would both like to get started on this as early as possible so that we are able to get first pick of the documents available.”

Essek nodded and then pulled a cell phone out of his bag, offering it to Caleb. 

“Here, you can put your number in here so we can communicate easier when we’re not in class. I would give you my email as well but it’s easy to find in the student database and texting tends to be much faster and efficient. I get out of my last class at 3:30, if you would like to meet then I am completely free.”

It only took a few moments for Caleb’s number to be imputed into his phone, and Essek’s to be added to a new contact in the cellphone he had been gifted by Allura to help him keep in touch with her and the other people in charge of his case. He caught her eye as he left the class, flushing slightly and nearly knocking into her wife, a trainer at the local gym, when she gave him an encouraging thumbs up and a grin. He apologised profusely to Ms. Vord, stumbling over his words even as she told him not to worry about it. 

~

Essek’s first few work sessions with Caleb had proved to be just as exciting as he had expected. Their work styles fit together well, and they found themselves working in perfect tandem as they began dissecting the rather lengthy pre calamity document they had chosen. It focused on a documentation from some battle that had occurred, and had stumped scholars in Emon since it’s discovery. It was stumping the pair as well, until a particular mention, an offhand footnote at the bottom of a page of casualties, caught Caleb’s eye. It was something he had never heard of in his studies.

Upon showing it to Essek however, it was as if everything had been laid clear in his eyes. The spell they described was clearly graviturgy, a subscience of Dunamancy, which was still closely guarded by the Kryn Dynasty. While most of the world had opened its gates to the exchange of knowledge, the Dynasty still guarded the secrets to Dunamancy very closely. Essek, as the child of a high ranking family, had been permitted to study it. 

With that revelation he realised that in order for their research to be able to continue at a steady pace he would need to teach Caleb the basics of Dunamancy. Within the Dynasty that would never be permitted to happen, someone from the Empire would never be allowed anywhere near even the most basic aspects of the school of magic. But they were in Emon.

Upon showing their findings to Professor Vyorsen, she informed them that under normal circumstances the research would be halted and they would be given a time allowance while they looked for a new document to analyze. However, as Essek knew Dunamancy, and was more than willing to teach Caleb, neither she nor the board had any trouble with them continuing, and requested that they be allowed to sit in on a few demonstrations of Dunamancy if Essek was comfortable with it. After Essek eagerly accepted it did not take long for the University administration to give him the permissions to use the Magical practice rooms. 

If working alongside Caleb on research had been exciting, then teaching him Dunamancy and watching his magic in action was positively thrilling. The redhead was both an incredible study partner and student, and quickly caught onto everything Essek taught him. He caught himself watching the way his hands moved to cast spells, the elegance and strength behind his movements. Caleb Widogast was without a doubt a powerful spell caster, but something was holding him back, Essek could feel it in the way magical energy crackled around him, sparking and bouncing between his fingers with raw power that had gone far too long unused. The way he stood straighter when he cast a spell, and then immediately shrunk back when it landed successfully. 

Essek felt no small degree of pride at the awe in the eyes of the board of Wizards in Emon as they watched him use Dunamancy. He found himself showing off a little whenever they came to observe, knowing that he was most likely their only experience with Dunamantic magic. He saw the pride in all of their eyes as he cast a more advanced spell, but his eyes consistently got lost in the open faced and vulnerable look of admiration of Caleb’s face. He stopped caring about what the Board thought, and worked to draw that look from Caleb again and again, wanting to see the way his eyes shone every time he cast a spell. 

~

Caleb had been apprehensive about beginning to practice magic again, barely over a year after his escape. Allura encouraged him, promising that she and his therapist, a kind gnome woman named Pike, would be there every time he and Essek practiced. Their first session on Dunamancy erased all doubts from his mind. He hadn’t noticed how much he had missed casting until Essek asked him to cast any spell to get a feel for his magic. The energy mounting in his fingers, crackling in his ears and lighting up his eyes bright amber as he released the cat’s paw felt like ecstasy pounding through his veins.

It was like the first breath of air after nearly drowning when he released three globules of light into the air, a drink of cold water after an eternity in the dessert when he made himself soar into the air with a fly spell. Magic felt as natural as breathing to him, it always had, and going so long without it had clearly affected him more than he thought. He could feel his focus improving, his nightmares lessened, and the ever present tension in his shoulders lessened as he reacquainted himself with the energy inside him and all around him. He had always been proud of his magic, and the appraising, proud look in Professor Vyorsen and Essek’s eyes had made him preen. And then Essek cast his first spell. 

He remembered the teachings of Herr Ikithon on what to do if they encountered a Dynasty mage, and took no small bit of pride that everything they had been taught had been wrong. Dunamancy was a closely guarded secret, and now an attractive drow from the Dynasty was opening his spellbook for Caleb to peruse. He lost himself in the way Essek cast spells, the fluidity of his movements, the sharpness of his hands as the somatic movements cut through the air.

He was beautiful, there was no doubt about that. The way he kept his composure and barely even seemed affected even as he smashed two tables into one another by affecting the gravity between them. The way his eyes lit up when Caleb caught on quickly to an aspect of whichever spell Essek had been teaching him that day. His smile when Caleb counterspelled his playful attempt to pull him across the room, his laugh when Caleb succeeded in doing the same to him not five minutes later, it was intoxicating. 

He couldn’t let himself believe this was any more than a friendly relationship, so he pushed everything down, swallowed the words of admiration every time they threatened to bubble up. But magic was like an addiction for Caleb, and he could feel himself getting pulled further and further into the gravitational orbit of Essek Thelyss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments, Kudos, and Bookmarks help me stay motivated to keep writing!


End file.
